1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to evaluation technologies and particularly to an information processing apparatus, an evaluation method, and a storage medium for evaluating application programs.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of application programs are installed and used in electronic devices such as personal computers, smartphones, and the like. The form for distributing application programs is in the process of change from a form where files are recorded in a variety of recording media and distributed to a form where files are downloaded from a server via the Internet or the like. Application programs are distributed to many users for trial use in order for the users to find application programs with high utility value. For example, programs with limitations that are referred to as so-called “demonstration version” are distributed aside from the regular version for sale. In consideration of the convenience for the program providers and the users, it is preferred that the users use the regular version programs instead of the demonstration version (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-164392
When license authentication is required at the time of using an application program, the user purchases a regular version license so as to perform the authentication. On the other hand, there is a case where a trial license is issued free of charge for evaluation and testing purposes. In that case, the user purchases a regular version license after performing evaluation and testing of the application program using the trial license. There is also a case where the user requests the reissuance of the trial license so as to perform the evaluation and the testing using a reissued trial license when a trial period for the trial license is expired.
Limitations are set for a trial period, a cumulative trial period, and an activation count for the trial license. These parameters are monitored, and the application program is no longer able to be used when a value thereof exceeds a fixed value. However, under such limitations, a period for using the trial license may be expired before the user makes full use of the application program.